Second Paddy McKillen hotel planned for Harcourt Street

Developer plans to construct 23-bed boutique hotel and cafe on Dublin city centre site

Property developer Paddy McKillen jnr has plans to open a second hotel on Dublin’s Harcourt Street. Earlier this year, Truceside, an investment vehicle wholly owned by Mr McKillen, acquired a 0.07 acre site at 36 Harcourt Street for an undisclosed sum and now hopes to construct a new 23-bed boutique hotel, set across two buildings, in its place.

The front of the hotel will incorporate a hip new cafe, while the large basement, which runs under both of the proposed buildings, will feature meeting rooms intended to cater in particular to Dublin’s burgeoning tech scene.

Originally a Georgian building occupied the site, but years ago the structure was demolished with nothing but its redbrick façade left standing which will be retained and repaired. The property has long been the biggest eyesore on Harcourt Street, with multiple support beams haphazardly bolted on to the façade and hoarding surrounding its perimeter.

Architects

That is set to change under Mr McKillen, whose Oakmount development company has already added to the street in recent years through the development of its 52-bedroom The Dean Hotel, just two doors away from this latest venture. Cathal O’Neill Architects, who were involved in the development of The Dean and a handful of other McKillen-linked ventures, are the architects for this project.

The building directly next door, 37 Harcourt Street, has been acquired by BO Vision Capital. This building is also in a bad state of repair, with fire-damaged upper floors, a temporary roof in place and many of its windows either boarded up or smashed. The new owners plan to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment, converting the basement into a 50-seater restaurant, and reinstating the other floors as apartments.

Both Numbers 36 and 37 Harcourt Street were previously offered for sale in one lot by tender in 2014 on behalf of a receiver with a combined reserve of €750,000, but were not sold. Having since disappeared off the open market, it is understood that the new owners only acquired the properties this year.

Both McKillen and BO Vision’s respective café and restaurant are bound to benefit from the roaring lunch trade in the area, thanks to the proximity to major centres of employment such as Hatch Street, Stokes Place, Stephen’s Green and the Harcourt Centre.